The River Ale House (Free House)
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Stephen Harris
Visits Details
21 Sep 2024 (Hogan Sampling)
Busy for last hour of serving with many of the usual Saturday regulars back in.
Goacher's - Silver Star | 4.20 |  | In very good condition. A lasting, citrusy mouthfeel with a dry, hoppy aftertaste. |
Tonbridge - Countryman | 4.00 |  | Fine head and lacing. Fresh on and so a slight fizz on the tongue and a fruity lingering mouthfeel. |
Little Monster - Big Red Machine | 5.20 |  | Holding head well on 2nd night on. Fruity mouthfeel, as in plums and redcurrants, in this red ale with a dry, bitter aftertaste. |
Red Rose - Paddy O'Hacker's Genuine Irish Stout | 4.60 |  | A hint of a head but minus lacing. Its smokiness has lessened from previous nights tried and with a bitter lingering mouthfeel. |
Oakham - Green Devil IPA Cask Aged | 6.00 | Not Tried | |
Siren Craft - Mesmerist | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
Little Monster - Yul | 4.60 | Not Tried | |
20 Sep 2024 (Hogan Sampling)
Quiet footfall for last 30 minutes of serving and governor preparing for Charlton home-game on Saturday in getting a few more beer substitutes lined up in readiness.
Little Monster - Big Red Machine | 5.20 |  | Never tried before this brewery but was not in the least disappointed in this red ale from them. Full of dark fruit flavours such as plum and redcurrants. There was a long-lasting bitterness from it. Still got some great carbonation after first ordering at 10.50pm and some 15 minutes later sampled and so won the race for the longest to retain its head as the stout ordered at the same time was by now flat. |
Red Rose - Paddy O'Hacker's Genuine Irish Stout | 4.60 |  | Flat by time of sampling at about 11.15pm when only poured at 10.50pm. More of a head the previous night. Decanted many a time to try to wake it up. Still tastes good at least as in smokey with a very bitter mouthfeel. |
New Bristol - Bristol Bitter | 4.00 |  | New on today but not a lot of carbonation and what was there soon evaporated. Described as unfined on tasting notes but as clear as a bell. Sweet mouthfeel like a good biscuit should be. No amount of decanting helped rejuvenate any bubbles as tried this a few good times. Its predecessor, the Tonbridge Traditional bitter, only lasted from its launch the previous evening into Friday's early afternoon opening and was then supped up by late Friday evening but it sets a fine example of how any bitter should be presented with great head and lacing. |
Southwark - Mayflower Session IPA | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
Oakham - Green Devil IPA Cask Aged | 6.00 | Not Tried | |
Brew York - Fennec Blonde (was 3.7%) | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
19 Sep 2024 (Hogan Sampling)
Busy footfall for last 40 minutes of serving with a good number of regulars in. A regular brought in a number of daily Evening Standards to give out. Apparently from next week onwards it will only be weekly.
Tonbridge - Traditional | 3.60 |  | Fresh on and in very good form with frothy head and lacing. Great old-fashioned bitter taste and lingering hoppiness. All that I want was there and so almost top marks for this! |
Southwark - Mayflower Session IPA | 4.20 |  | Fruit hits you on first sipping, perhaps the odd peach and pear or two, and with a hoppy mouthfeel. Not a lot of carbonation but if you do not look too hard, not a lot of people would know that! |
Red Rose - Paddy O'Hacker's Genuine Irish Stout | 4.60 |  | First hit from this and wanted to put the fire out as a very smokey taste. Some moderately good carbonation but certainly not creamy and foamy as you would expect out of an extinguisher to put a smokey episode out! Nice bitter aftertaste. |
Oakham - Green Devil IPA Cask Aged | 6.00 | Not Tried | |
Brew York - Fennec Blonde (was 3.7%) | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
Milestone - Cathedral Gold | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
19 Sep 2024 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
Oakham - Green Devil IPA | 6.00 |  | Clearer and better conditioned than yesterday's. Still very sour hopping |
Tonbridge - Traditional | 3.60 |  | Bitterer than expected. A lively pint |
Southwark - Mayflower Session IPA | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
Brew York - Fennec Blonde (was 3.7%) | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
Red Rose - Paddy O'Hacker's Genuine Irish Stout | 4.60 | Not Tried | |
Milestone - Cathedral Gold | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
18 Sep 2024 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
Oakham - Green Devil IPA | 6.00 |  | This seemed sourer than in the past, little head or lacing. Used to be so much cleaner on the palate |
Red Rose - Paddy O'Hacker's Genuine Irish Stout | 4.60 |  | A very bitter stout. One was enough |
Leatherbritches - The Bounder | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
Brew York - Maris the Otter | 3.90 | Not Tried | |
Brew York - Fennec Blonde (was 3.7%) | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
Milestone - Cathedral Gold | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
17 Sep 2024 (Hogan Sampling)
Very quiet footfall for last 30 minutes of serving but still with a few fiddlers out the back and one who was also trying to sing along to the rest.
Leatherbritches - The Bounder | 3.80 |  | Not as good as when fresh on, on Sunday evening but still very good carbonation. Hoppy and fruity flavours with a moreish bitterness in the aftertaste. |
Tonbridge - Ebony Moon | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
Brew York - Maris the Otter | 3.90 | Not Tried | |
Thornbridge / Thornbridge Hall - Green Mountain | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
Milestone - Cathedral Gold | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
15 Sep 2024 (Hogan Sampling)
Quiet footfall for last 40 minutes of serving.
Leatherbritches - The Bounder | 3.80 |  | Fresh on this evening, so like liquid bread shortly after coming out of the oven. Great carbonation with a dry, hoppy moreish mouthfeel. |
Brew York - Maris the Otter | 3.90 |  | New on and very malty with 5 different ones according to the micro's tasting notes. Good carbonation and a lingering hoppiness. |
Tonbridge - Ebony Moon | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
Iron Pier - Perry St Pale | 3.70 | Not Tried | |
Siren Craft - Lumina | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
Nuttycombe - RCH Pitchfork | 4.30 | Not Tried | |
15 Sep 2024 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
Nuttycombe - RCH Pitchfork | 4.30 |  | Overly citrus for me but excellent condition and pleased to see true Nuttycombe provenance on the pumpclip |
Tonbridge - Ebony Moon | 4.20 |  | |
Leatherbritches - The Bounder | 3.80 |  | All very OK |
Brew York - Maris the Otter | 3.90 | Not Tried | |
Iron Pier - Perry St Pale | 3.70 | Not Tried | |
Siren Craft - Lumina | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
14 Sep 2024 (Hogan Sampling)
Busy footfall for last hour of serving.
Tonbridge - Ebony Moon | 4.20 |  | Good head and lacing. Chocolatey mouthfeel and a lingering bitterness. |
Tonbridge - Coppernob | 3.80 |  | Good head and lacing. Malty mouthfeel and hoppy aftertaste but not as good as when first on, on Friday. |
Nuttycombe - RCH Pitchfork | 4.30 |  | Superb carbonation. Slight tingling on the tongue with a fruity kick to it and a dry, hoppy long-lasting mouthfeel. |
Iron Pier - Perry St Pale | 3.70 | Not Tried | |
Wantsum - Hurricane | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
Siren Craft - Lumina | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
13 Sep 2024 (Hogan Sampling)
Like Thursday people are back and so busy for last 30 minutes of serving.
Tonbridge - Ebony Moon | 4.20 |  | Still got good conditioning with it being 2nd night on for me. Chocolate hits you on first tasting and with a lovely bitterness then remaining with you. |
Tonbridge - Coppernob | 3.80 |  | In very good condition as fresh on today. Sharp, fruity flavours with a long-lasting hoppiness. |
Iron Pier - Perry St Pale | 3.70 | Not Tried | |
Wantsum - Hurricane | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
Castle Rock - A Love Supreme | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
Milestone - XX Anniversary Ale | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
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